Bay Port is the defending state champion and the Pirates will go on the road to play Milwaukee Reagan at Pulaski Stadium in Milwaukee
DIVISION 1 | BRACKET
(All games Friday at 7 pm unless noted; Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
#4 Mukwonago at Waunakee
#7 De Pere at #3 Hudson
#4 Brookfield East at #1 Arrowhead
#3 Kimberly at #2 Hamilton | ZaleskiSports Stream
#4 Racine Case at #1 Muskego
#3 Middleton at #2 Badger
#5 Verona at #1 Franklin
#3 Bay Port at #2 Milwaukee Reagan, 5 pm Pulaski Stadium
To see the Level 1 Bracket Breakdown, click here.
Level 1 Surprise
De Pere won a playoff game for a third consecutive season, but none have been quite as wild as Friday’s 28-27 overtime victory against second-seeded Neenah. The teams were tied at 20 at the end of regulation, with Neenah scoring first and kicking the extra point. Seventh-seeded De Pere would score on their overtime possession as well, and Cayden Cavanaugh got a shovel pass for the game-winning, walk-off two-point conversion. Quarterback Holden Woodfill threw for 393 yards in the win.
Best Rematch
Kimberly and Hamilton met up back in a Week 1 non-conference game, and it was a surprising way to open the season, as Hamilton took it to the Papermakers 42-21. Jacob Osmanski had a big game at quarterback for Hamilton, but he’s missed most of the year since with injury. Though Cole Erdmann has been more than capable, including a huge game last week in the win over Marquette when he threw for 308 yards and ran for 112 with six rushing touchdowns.
#1 seed with toughest match-up
Waunakee is undefeated and the top seed in Group A, but the Warriors had plenty of trouble last week, needing overtime to slip past eighth-seeded Chippewa Falls 28-21, as Waunakee allowed 353 rushing yards to the Cardinals. Things get even tougher this week, as the Warriors welcome in Classic Eight squad Mukwonago, who features a pair of outstanding running backs in senior Colton Lynch and junior Jerrell Anderson.
Level 2 Most Important Player
Zeke Sawall is the quarterback for Brookfield East, who takes on top seeded Arrowhead in Level 2. The Spartans have lost two games this year, both of which were struggles for Sawall, as he averaged less than five yards per attempt in both with three total interceptions and no touchdowns. He will need to play well to give the Spartans a chance against the powerhouse Arrowhead Warhawks.
My Picks
(15-1 last week; 93.75%% in D1 overall)
Waunakee over Mukwonago
De Pere over Hudson
Arrowhead over Brookfield East
Kimberly over Hamilton
Muskego over Racine Case
Badger over Middleton
Franklin over Verona
Bay Port over Milwaukee Reagan
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].